2010 Ford Taurus SHO
Ah, we knew it would happen sooner or later. Despite the new Taurus’ non-sporty nature, the infamous Taurus SHO reared its head and showed us some specs. It even looks good!
In short, the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO gets a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 pushing out 365 horsepower, an AWD drivetrain, and a paddle-shifting 6-speed gearbox. Wha? This doesn’t seem right, but it’s seriously impressive. Read on for more info: Continue Reading…
The Detroit auto show has come and gone, and has left the automotive industry with a little more to chew over. As a final wrap-up to quite possibly the most important auto show in America, we chose 10 cars that summed up the best of the show. We chose based on significance and looks, which is why you will see Honda’s Insight on the same list as the Fisker Karma. After much deliberating, here are the 10 we think are the best.
Starting at the No. 10 spot, the BlueSport made this list because it is an honest effort to make a sporty car by a company whose most engaging vehicle to date is the Golf GT1 (no, the Bugatti Veyron does not count). It’s not the sexiest roadster available, as the Saturn Sky debatably holds that spot (key word: debatably. Check out the comments at the link above, and add your own opinion). While not terribly exciting to the eyes, it does feature that solid, reliable look that has come to define VW’s “German Engineering”. 57 miles to each gallon of diesel just adds to the charm.
Ford released new information and images of the 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 to be debuted at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Whether you like the new design of the 2010 Mustang or not, there’s no denying that it’s been seriously upgraded. The new Shelby GT500 takes this to the extreme.
The 2010 version of this snake’s 5.4-liter supercharged V8 gets a 40 horsepower increase from its predecessor, now up to 540 HP. Torque is also increased to 510 lb-ft, and it gets a new gearbox to handle the extra power, provide faster acceleration, and better fuel economy. Exterior changes are functional - a new hood extractor removes heat from the engine, and a Gurney Flap spoiler tunes rear downforce.
Helping the engine produce that extra power is an open-element cold-air induction system with a new conical air filter. A new, larger twin-disc clutch helps to increase drivability. Chassis tuning and a tighter suspension help with improved handling. Continue Reading…
Ford Motor Company announced today that they will be “rethinking” their strategic options with the Swedish luxury carmaker Volvo, of which they own. The obvious downturn in the economy and a worldwide decline in car sales sparked the decision.
After Ford sold most of their stake in Mazda, I knew Volvo would be next. After all, who buys Volvos anymore? Quality has went down, and they offer no redeemable features against other car manufacturers. Their only selling point, and the one thing they market for, is safety. And unless you like Volvo’s styling, there is a better choice for every vehicle they make.
Ford’s review of Volvo will likely take a few months to complete, at which time a decision will be made what to do with the company. Going forward, Volvo’s plans are to release the XC60 crossover for 2009, later introducing seven low-emission vehicles, strengthening their environmental stand. Let’s hope they can get their shit together and turn this around.
2010 Ford Mustang
The newly redesigned 2010 Mustang will be shown on the TV show “Knight Rider” tomorrow at 8 PM Eastern, coinciding with the LA Auto Show. Currently, the Shelby GT500KR is the new version of KITT, which sparked quite a bit of (understandable) bitching from long-term Knight Rider fans.
But don’t worry, the new show is terrible. I gave it a chance on the first episode and couldn’t make it through the whole thing.
More pictures of the 2010 Ford Mustang after the jump: Continue Reading…
Ford Motor Company announced today that it will be selling a large portion of their stake in Mazda to help strengthen their balance sheet. This will bring their share in Mazda from over 33% to only 13% - netting Ford a total of around $540 million.
Ford and Mazda will still share vehicle platforms and powertrains, so don’t expect a big change in their line-up. This change seems to be only numbers - we shouldn’t see any difference in operating procedures, vehicle line-up, design, or staff changes.
